A&M’s Disputes and Investigations practice proudly sponsored the 2025 Dubai Arbitration Week (DAW), held last week. As a key annual event in the arbitration calendar, DAW connects regional and global communities, highlighting the Middle East's pivotal role in shaping dispute resolution best practices and its importance in resolving commercial conflicts while upholding the rule of law in the MENA region.

This year, A&M’s team contributed to the dialogue by participating in several topical panels, including:

1. “Expert Evidence in Complex Projects: What Tribunals Really Want”, hosted by A&M at the Capital Club

Moderated by A&M’s local construction disputes expert Julian Haslam-Jones, A&M’s DAW panel featured A&M international arbitration expert Colin Johnson, Aarta Alkarimi of Chrysalis, Camille Slow of Atkin Chambers, and Sara Koleilat-Aranjo of Morgan Lewis. Some of the key takeaways from this panel include:

• Regional Nuance Demands Real Expertise: The Middle East’s unique market dynamics and complex projects require technical experts who deeply understand the region, not just generalists. Local insight is critical to ensure credible, context-driven analysis.
• Strategic Alignment Drives Outcomes: Alignment among tribunals, counsel, and experts is critical to achieving clarity and fairness. Expert insight enables tribunals to interpret complex data with confidence and accuracy.
• Prioritise Integrity and Expertise Over Cost: The selection of an expert should be driven by competence and integrity rather than cost. Credible, data-driven, and impartial analysis is essential to support sound decision-making.
• Leveraging Technology Through Human Intelligence: AI and data tools can streamline processes and reduce costs, but they must be applied under expert guidance. When used thoughtfully, they bring clarity; however, when used without oversight, they risk obscuring the facts that matter most.

2. “From Conflict to Consensus: Mediation in Innovation Disputes”, co-hosted by A&M, Bird & Bird, and Chrysalis LLP at the British Embassy

This panel explored the Intellectual Property Office UK’s (UKIPO) promotion of the protection and strategic use of Intellectual Property (IP) rights while encouraging the use of mediation to resolve disputes across all IP categories. The discussion centred on how mediation can become the preferred mechanism for resolving innovation-driven conflicts in the Middle East. A&M’s local disputes expert Kasia Halliday spoke alongside Sanaz Javadi Farahzadi of the Intellectual Property Office, Jehad Abdulrazzaq Kazim of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, Aarta Alkarimi of Chrysalis, Wolf von Kumber of the ICSID Conciliation Panel, Nasser Ali Khasawneh of Eversheds Sutherland and Bill Smith of Bird & Bird. Key takeaways from this panel include:

• Financial clarity supports settlement discussions
• Experts can help parties translate technical and valuation issues into pragmatic solutions
• Mediation works best when parties choose to engage, not when they are mandated to